vice president biden, mcconnell, said to be about $100,000 apart with biden willing to preserve tax cuts for families making up $450,000 and mack connell wanting to go to 550,000. south dakota senator john thune is too on miss tick but his focus is different than senator bocker's. >> i certainly hope the negotiations occurring right now can conclude in a way that will give us an outcome that prevents those tax rates from increasing on americans across this country and also put in place some things that would actually deal with the real problem, and the real problem, mr. president, is that our country spends too much. >> reporter: democratic senator tom harkin of iowa says republicans are trying to lock if had income and estate tax rates and some permanent spending cuts in exchange for temporary hikes in unemployment insurance and other things. and he objects to that. still aways to go, uma. uma: still aways to go indeed. wendell goler on the front lines right at the white house keeping tab on all the happenings from that vantage point. thanks so much for joining us. jon: let's bring in j